and removed his shoes. She did the same. The sun had risen to the top of the sky and birds twittered in the trees above them. They’d had many moments like this since he’d arrived, enjoying the call of nature surrounding them. But this still felt different.
Because there was a lot at stake. A reverence in the quiet. An unspoken something that had shifted between them.
Inching to the edge of the cliff, Eva sat and dangled her legs over. Marc followed, and for a moment she allowed herself to forget about all of her hesitations. The guilt.
Even Brent.
She laid her head on Marc’s shoulder, and he put his arm around her. Closing her eyes, Eva breathed in the scent of pine trees and peace. “Ready?”
His arm loosened around her, then dropped from her shoulders. Marc scooted back a bit so he faced her more fully. His fingers brushed some hair that had fallen from her braid behind her ear.
She shivered at his touch. So gentle.
“Are you?”
“Maybe.” Oh boy. Those eyes, as chocolate as the drink he loved so much, observant, true. Eva averted her gaze. “I don’t know how to do this.”
But did she have to know right now? Or was it enough to simply take this small step toward the unknown? To fall and let an ocean of possibilities catch her?
Or a lake of them, anyway.
“Me either.” Marc gently hooked a finger under her chin and brought her eyes to meet his once more. “But we can figure it out together.”
Brent’s face flashed through her mind. He’d said something similar once. When was it?
Heat flashed through her whole body. Why couldn’t she remember? She’d never had trouble recalling a single thing about her time with Brent.
If she leapt, would she lose more than just a memory?
Oh goodness. No.
Backing away, she couldn’t bring her voice to more than a whisper. “I’m sorry, Marc. I can’t.”
The rejection in his eyes almost hurt more than the pain of missing Brent that nettled her heart.
Eva hopped up, grabbed her shoes, and fled back to the main path, rocks and twigs stabbing her feet—a physical reminder of the agony threatening to shred her insides.
21
A lot could change in four months.
When she’d agreed to this crazy journey, Angela could not have pictured herself here, trekking a steep mountain trail outside of Wanaka, New Zealand, slightly winded but not anywhere close to stopping.
And she definitely would not have believed she’d be here with a man—one whom, despite her reservations, she’d grown to like more every time they’d hung out in the last two weeks since the marathon.
“Can you believe this view?” Simon’s voice was partially lost in the wind blowing from the top of the mountain.
Countless peaks zigzagged across the skyline, creating a whole valley of triangles that split off in all directions. In the distance, the surface of Lake Wanaka glinted as if it held millions of tiny blue-white diamonds. From deep greens to browns and yellows, the vibrant landscape seemed the work of a masterful artist.
Nothing in a long time had made her feel quite so close to the Divine as this.
“It’s . . .” There truly wasn’t even a word for it.
“I know.”
The ground beneath them flattened, and the searing in Angela’s leg muscles lessened. As they walked along the saddle of the mountain, there wasn’t another human in sight. Simon’s broad shoulders carried a backpack with emergency supplies, and his muscular legs were tan from lots of time spent in the sun.
As they neared the peak of the mountain they’d been climbing for hours, Simon turned. “This last bit might be tough, but it’s worth it.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
Simon led them up the last part of the trail toward the top. Angela’s lungs screamed at her, and she focused on breathing, on inhaling the scent of rock and dirt and pine and—for a brief moment—freedom.
At last they made it to the peak, where the path evened out and came to a stop. They were rewarded for their labor with striking panoramic views unlike anything she’d ever seen. She thought the colors had been bright on their hike up, but nothing compared to the display in front of her. It was more vivid than she’d ever imagined.
And it was all imbued with a sense of triumph—hard work mixed with good fortune. Blessing.
When was the last time she’d actually felt blessed?
“Like I said. Worth it, eh?” Simon’s voice broke into her thoughts, but it wasn’t an unpleasant interruption.